Obama Campaign ‘Embeds’ in North Dakota

<p align="center"><img src="/files/u2/obama-nd-shirt150.jpg" title="obama t shirt flash" alt="obama t shirt flash" align="middle" height="132" width="150" /></p><p>In terms of convention delegates, North Dakota (with just 21) will be a grape on Super Tuesday, next to the Peach State, several plums, and that watermelon in the West -- California (441 delegates up for grabs). Yet Barack Obama's supporters have opened four offices in North Dakota.</p><p>"The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/04/wuspols304.xml" target="_blank" title="Symbolic value of a ND win">symbolic value</a> of a strong showing here would be huge," Matt Weinstein, Obama's North Dakota campaign director, told the Telegraph. Toby Harnden reasons that an Obama victory here would affirm his "electability." Sen. Hillary Clinton, Harnden writes, has no staff in North Dakota.</p><p>Harnden describes the Obama strategy with scare quotes -- as "'embedding' volunteers in rural states." (Have they been supplied with body armor, or perhaps just good down jackets?) In any case, kudos to the Telegraph, to have "embedded" a reporter in Bismark, where Tuesday's forecast is for a high of 13 degrees. </p>